Campground · Arthur's Pass National Park
Thirty tent sites on broad alpine flats, with a cooking shelter.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Arthur's Pass Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Arthur's Pass National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Hawdon Shelter and Woolshed Hill“Hawdon Shelter Campsite is ahead, on broad grassy flats edged by beech forest and mountain slopes.”
Plays as you drive up to Hawdon Shelter Campsite in the Parkwolf Arthur's Pass Tour Guide.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Hawdon Shelter Campsite is a campground on wide grassy flats in the lower Hawdon Valley, 24 km south of Arthur's Pass village. Its 30 non-powered tent sites sit in an open meadow edged by beech forest, with alpine slopes beyond. The open setting gives camps room to spread out, though parts of the flat can be exposed to wind.
Book before you arrive; campsites are booked and sites are selected or allocated on arrival. The shelter has tables and a fireplace, with two long-drop toilets and an untreated water supply for the basics. Boil the water or bring your own, and pack food because there is no shop or café at the campground. Fires are allowed only in the shelter fireplace, and dogs are not allowed.
The Hawdon Hut Track starts from the campground. The full route is an 18 km return advanced tramp, typically 6–8 hours, with several river crossings. It is a backcountry trip, not a casual add-on; river levels can rise quickly, so do not attempt it during or after heavy rain.
Campers value the quiet, spacious setting, but sandflies can be persistent when the air is still, so bring repellent. Across the wider valley, predator control helps protect one of only five known wild locations for the critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet, or kākāriki karaka. blue duck (whio), great spotted kiwi (roroa), rock wren (pīwauwau), and yellowhead (mohua) also inhabit the area, though sightings are never guaranteed.
Wildlife
984 sightingsKeaMost seen around noonSighting map
39 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
190 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
20 sightingsKākāMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
15 sightingsWekaMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
15 sightingsParadise ShelduckMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Arthur's Pass. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingHawdon Hut Track18 km · 7 hr · At the trailheadA backcountry hut walk with a string of river fords.
ChallengingWoolshed Hill Track5.1 km · 3 hr · At the trailheadA steep bushline climb for Hawdon Valley and Waimakariri views.
ChallengingSudden Valley Bivvy Route12.9 km · 5.5 hr · At the trailheadA rough river route to a tucked-away two-bunk bivvy.
ChallengingEast Hawdon Bivvy Route22 km · 10 hr · At the trailheadA remote, unmarked river route to East Hawdon Bivvy.
ChallengingCasey Hut via Andrews Track31.8 km · 14 hr · 3.7 km awayA two-day hut tramp over a broad tussock saddle.
ChallengingCasey Saddle – Binser Saddle Route39.1 km · 16 hr · 3.7 km awayTwo days across tussock saddles, remote flats and the Poulter valley.
ChallengingBinser Saddle Track9 km · 7 hr · 5.2 km awayA steep beech-forest climb to a grassy saddle.Parkwolf’s Arthur's Pass ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
